Zomato, India’s premier restaurant aggregator and food delivery company, has unveiled an innovative feature on its delivery platform. The newly introduced “Tips for the kitchen staff” feature is designed to enable customers to express their gratitude and appreciation to the restaurant’s kitchen team, including chefs, cleaning staff, and helpers.

In a blog post, Zomato detailed how this feature works. Customers placing orders through the Zomato app can now take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the kitchen staff who prepare their meals. Once the food is delivered, customers have the option to rate their order, followed by an invitation to provide a tip for the kitchen staff.

What sets this feature apart is its accessibility. Customers can access the tipping feature not only after placing their orders but also directly from the live order tracking page on the app.

Zomato has designed the feature to allow customers to tip the kitchen staff as a percentage (%) of their total order value. The range for tips is between 3% and 10% of the total order value. For those who prefer a different amount, there is also the option to enter a custom tip.

Crucially, Zomato has streamlined the process to ensure that every tip provided by a customer is promptly credited to the respective restaurant. The platform handles any necessary tax deductions, and the restaurants can then distribute the tips equitably among their staff members.

Restaurant partners of Zomato can conveniently monitor the tip amount through their weekly payouts and account statements, accessible via the merchant app and web dashboard.

Deepinder Goyal, the founder and CEO of Zomato, took to social media, sharing the news with the public. In a post on Twitter (formerly known as X), he expressed his pride in introducing this feature: “I’m super proud to introduce this new feature on the @zomato app – ‘Tips for Kitchen Staff.’ Now you can show your appreciation for the chef and staff who helped cook your meal – and it goes without saying, 100% of the tip amount goes to the restaurant partners for distribution among their staff.”

With this thoughtful and user-friendly addition to its platform, Zomato aims to foster a sense of appreciation and recognition for the often unsung heroes behind the delicious meals we enjoy. It’s not just a tip; it’s a token of gratitude.